Umbrella
by Syrus
Summary: Written in response to a challenge prompt from a friend asking for "something to do with an umbrella". Just a little bit of Phoenix/Miles cuteness.


I checked my watch again. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised he was late, it wasn't as though he could make the five minute drive from his office to the park where they were to meet since he refused to get a license.

 _Who am I kidding? Just because he has a license didn't mean he can afford to have a car._

I couldn't help chuckle at my own thoughts and shake my head at them. Such things might have irritated me about other people, but Phoenix Wright was hardly just any other person. It was true that I never really liked expressing emotion of any sort, but that man made me feel so many things I never thought I could feel, never thought I wanted to. At first…it was so confusing, frustrating and irritating that I had to leave to sort it all out at the same time as rediscover my motivations in life.

I came to a conclusion while I was gone. This conclusion was the last one I'd expected to come to, but on seeing him again after a whole, nearly unbearable, year, I could not deny it. As much as I should have tried, I didn't want to. I learned the hard way more than once, one cannot refute truth. Maybe there wasn't a more absolute truth in my life, and that knowledge scared me more than anything.

As storm clouds gathered over head, it made me thankful for my forethought of bringing an umbrella with me. If there is one thing I learned growing up, it is that one must be prepared for any circumstance, whether in court or out, or run the risk of getting into further trouble. And Phoenix Wright always seemed to bring trouble.

I was abruptly brought out of my thoughts when I could see the very defense attorney I was waiting for was smiling and waving at me, and I cursed to myself as it brought some color to my cheeks. I just nodded in response as he approached me, and he said, sounding a little sheepish and out of breath, "Sorry I'm a little late. I was wrapped up in some post trial paper work, and by the time I realized it, I was a bit late to leave."

I should have been irritated with him, but this had nothing to do with court business. I found…he was one of the few people I didn't mind spending my free time with, though those times were too few and far Be between. Perhaps I could be convinced to change that.

"Think nothing of it." I replied softly, looking out at the park instead of at him.

The realization that his eyes had a strange power to make me feel things I didn't all together understand or do things that I might not be driven to do on my own was indeed a hard one to come to terms with. When we weren't in court, often times I felt as though those eyes could see right into me, even into places I never let anyone see. The concept itself was both exciting and terrifying. Another thing added to the list of reasons why I wanted to keep Phoenix Wright at a distance and let him in all at the same time.

There wasn't a single other person in my life that was this frustrating, and yet I would never dream of cutting him out of my life. Never again, anyway. My thoughts were broken again when he spoke, sounding so grateful, "I just…wanted to thank you for the help you gave me in our last trial together. I'm sure I never would have been able to find my client innocent without it."

This made me smile just slightly and I had to reply in a wry way, especially after all we'd gone through together, "You know as well as I do by now that it is only the truth that matters in court. Not our personal vanities or pride."

Another lesson I learned because of this man. At first, it was a bitter pill to swallow, considering my upbringing, but I could only be glad for it now. Now that I knew the truth behind what made me want to be a prosecutor and behind…

He chuckled and stepped a little closer to me, smiling in a way that made the pale skin on my face color a little further, "I'm thankful for that. That we can work together like that. That I can…count on you."

Phoenix's voice softened in a way that brought my eyes back to his face and my heart skipped a beat at the tender look he had fixed me with. It took me a moment to even find my voice, sounding less steady than I would have liked and saying something that I'd never meant to voice so gently, "You can always count on me."

And finally, it was my words that brought color to his cheeks. This was nothing to do with me making him look stupid in court. This spoke to something deeper…something between us. Something linked to that truth I'd confirmed in myself when I was gone. I couldn't breathe at the way his lips twitched upward vulnerably on his reply, "And you can count on me."

I was so wrapped up in noticing all the little dark flecks in his bright blue eyes that I could not be blamed for being startled when the skies above us roared with thunder, and suddenly rain began to pelt down on us both. My face flushed completely red at being so taken with the other that I'd forgotten my surroundings, and I quickly brought up the umbrella to shield me from the weather.

Phoenix, on the other hand, appeared to have no such reprieve from the rain, using his hands to, poorly, keep the water from getting into his eyes, sheepishly yelling over the sound of everything, "I ran out of the office so fast, I forgot to bring an umbrella! Oops!"

I decided to stop questioning every one of my actions on this outing, finding that I'd already revealed more to Phoenix than I ever had wanted to, but realizing I was helpless when it came to hiding things from him. He knew me for so long, that even if we'd lost touch for so many years, it was as though he could see parts of me I'd long lost sight of. I needed someone like him in my life, as embarrassing as that was to admit to myself.

I reached out grab his arm and yelled back to him, "Come here, Wright."

I pulled him to stand with me under my umbrella, but that brought us closer than I'm sure we'd ever been. We were now practically breathing the same air…or we would have been if I could get myself to breathe at all. My heart was hammering itself straight into my throat as I realized I still hadn't let go of his arm on bringing him under the shelter of my umbrella either. I didn't want to let go.

A few beats passed as we just looked at each other, when he finally spoke in a soft way that ran a shiver straight down my spine, "…Miles?"

The truth I'd come to on my time away was reaffirmed in the most profound way in that moment our faces were mere inches from each other. I loved Phoenix Wright. I loved him more than I loved any other human being and that I would do anything for him. It was disturbing to first think that, since I never wanted to feel tied to anyone that would inevitably let me down, or that I would let down. But Phoenix never let me down, not in the entire time that I'd known him. He fought for me even when I didn't want to fight for myself, when I even thought that I wasn't worth fighting for.

How could I ever express the depth of my feelings? I was no good with emotion, but I knew that this was something I couldn't deny. With him this close to me, I couldn't help but look at him with longing, and I finally replied breathlessly, "…Phoenix."

And then I leaned in to kiss him. He drew me in like a moth to a flame, and I shivered just slightly when our lips touched softly. I never imagined that one day I would kiss him, but it was likely the best kiss of my life. We held it for a long moment before pulling back for a breath, and then my face flushed again. I really was no good at these things.

He was smiling then in a way that brought a warmth in my heart that was seldom there and he softly spoke as he reached up to lightly touch my cheek, "This was totally worth getting drenched for."

I smiled back in a genuine way that betrayed how happy I felt. I never felt happiness like this, especially since I wasn't sure I deserved it. Well, maybe this was one more thing that Phoenix Wright could change my mind on.

Perhaps now we had a lot to talk about, but in this moment, I didn't want to talk. I just leaned in to take his lips again.


End file.
